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Workplace issues, Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), Workplace Safety, Public Health, Environment and Political Information that everyone should know.

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Sunday, September 03, 2006

Weekly Toll: Death In The American Workplace

Subcontract worker dies in Selma paper mill accident

SELMA, Ala. - Dallas County authorities are investigating an industrial accident at International Paper Company's Riverdale Mill in Selma that claimed the life of a construction worker. 28-year-old John Blue is believed to have lost consciousness while elevated on scaffolding Wednesday.

He was pronounced dead at a Selma hospital. Blue was employed by Pettyline Construction and worked in the Number Two Bleach Plant.

Worker dies in fall from school roof

A masonry worker died after falling from the roof of Sudlow Intermediate School in Davenport this morning. The man’s name was not being released, but Davenport police confirmed this afternoon that he did not survive his injuries.

The incident happened about 10:30 a.m., according to the Davenport School District. The construction crew was doing tuckpointing when the worker apparently fell, a district spokeswoman said. No students were present, but a teacher reportedly witnessed the incid

Officer Killed In Crash Was Well-Loved

SOUTHINGTON, CT -- Jeffrey Boucher, a Meriden police officer killed early Saturday in a one-car crash in Southington, was remembered by a department commander as a personable, well-respected team player "just involved in everything."

Police are still investigating the cause of the crash shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday. Boucher was the lone occupant of the 2000 Chevy Camaro, police said. The car was heading northeast near a Walgreens pharmacy at 359 Main St. when Boucher failed to negotiate a curve and killed early today by a bullet that struck him in a small area under his arm not protected by his bulletproof vest, police officials said.

Irvin Pescador, 18, was working at AP Trucking on West Gertrude Avenue a little before 3 p.m. Friday, when he needed to drain the oil from a truck engine, said Sgt. Brad Harms of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Department. Pescador and a co-worker decided to lift the engine off the ground with a forklift, Harms said. Pescador and the co-worker wrapped chains around the engine and looped the chains over the forklift, then raised the forklift.

While his co-worker left to find an oil pan, Pescador got under the engine to remove lug nuts. The engine started to sway and slowly slipped forward on the tips of the forklift, causing the forklift to pitch forward. The engine dropped onto Pescador's chest and abdomen, and crushed him, Harms said. Pescador's co-worker returned and used the forklift to raise the engine off Pescador's chest, but it was too late, Harms said.

Man kills mall worker, is then killed by police

LAFAYETTE, LA. — A man shot and killed a Victoria’s Secret employee Friday evening in a mall, and an off-duty police officer fatally shot him in the parking lot as he tried to escape, officials said. Sherika Broussard, 21, was shot in the head in the store at the Mall of Acadiana, said Cpl. Mark Francis, a Lafayette Police Department spokesman. “It appears to be a domestic-related incident,” Francis said. Mall security guards and off-duty officers working for the mall heard the shots and were running toward the area while store employees were calling police, he said. “They confronted the guy in the parking lot,” Francis said. “He was just about to get to his vehicle. He turned on the officers with the weapon pointed toward them.” Detective Dustin Firmin, who was working an off-duty security job, shot the man, Francis said.

ESSEX SHOOTINGS: Tragedy began with a cry for help

Burlington, VT - Two hours later, Linda was dead and Essex was in chaos. Frantic 911 calls reported gunfire and screams at the Lambesis home. Then shots rang out at Essex Elementary, followed by another barrage at a nearby apartment. Teachers ducked and ran, while police strapped on bullet-resistant vests, shouldered automatic weapons and charged toward the school. When the shooting stopped, more than an excruciating hour after it began, beloved Essex Elementary School teacher Alicia Shanks also had been killed in addition to Linda Lambesis, an adored teacher in St. Albans. Two other people were shot and bleeding, and Williams had tried twice, but failed both times, to kill himself with a bullet to the head. Only later — as an extraordinary investigation unfolded across three crime scenes and involved more than 100 local, state and federal law-enforcement agents — would police trace Williams’ footsteps between 12:17 and 1:55 p.m. During that window, authorities would later learn, he borrowed a handgun from a friend who would become the final victim.

Police: Trucking company owner kills employee with shotgun

MARSHALLS CREEK, Pa. - The owner of a trucking company fatally shot an employee who had come to his home to discuss a dispute over worker's compensation and medical bills, two other employees told police. The three workers went to the Jackson Township home of Ray Anthony Velez on Friday afternoon to discuss an ongoing dispute. An argument ensued and Velez pulled a sawed-off shotgun out of his desk and fatally shotArmando Guardiola, of New York City, police said "All I can say is it was self-defense," Velez, 34, told the Pocono Record as he was led out of court early Saturday. "They came to my house."

Company fined for safety violations, Contractor cited for 2 penalties in last year

Estero, FL - The man who fell 21 stories to his death Friday in Estero worked for a company that was fined for one safety violation in the last year and his company was working for a contractor that had been in violation twice in the last year. Jose Oved Rivera Rojas, 22, of 5417 Martin St. in Naples, was working on a platform when a crane operator struck support cables holding the platform. The platform collapsed, sending him down the ventilation shaft, Lee County sheriff's Sgt. Larry King said. He was working on high-rise condominium construction at Jasmine Bay at the West Bay Club off Williams Road in Estero.

Plane crash near Lexington airport kills 49, Wrong runway used

Lexington, KY - A commercial plane crashed near Blue Grass Airport yesterday morning, killing 49 of the 50 people aboard the Atlanta-bound aircraft. Airport officials confirmed that emergency personnel took one survivor, the flight’s first officer, to University of Kentucky Hospital. Flight 5191, a Comair Delta connections flight, went down at 6:07 a.m. about a mile west of the airport, Comair said. The non-stop flight was scheduled to leave at 6 a.m. and arrive at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 7:18 The pilot was identified as Jeffrey Clay, 35, of Burlington. He has worked for Comair since 1999 and has been a pilot since 2004. The plane’s flight attendant was identified as Kelly Heyer, 28. He has worked for Comair since 2004.

Worker killed, another injured, in explosion at Post Cereal Plant

BATTLE CREEK, MI -- An explosion shortly before 5 a.m. at the Post Cereal Plant killed one worker and injured another. The blast in Building 17 at 275 Cliff Street was initially thought to have been caused by a power outage, which knocked out electricity to the area. "We had a flash. The lights went out for just a second," Larry Donovan, an employee, told 24 Hour News 8. "Apparently, it (the power outage) affected some of the safeguards," said Battle Creek Police Chief David Headings. Investigators believe those outages somehow caused steam to build up pressure in the pipes of Building 17. That steam caused a cereal-making machine to explode, blowing out a cinder block wall. "It appears what happened was that because of the storm power outage there, there was some sort of build-up in a pressure tank. The tank is about approximately eight feet tall and two to three feet in circumference," said Chief Headings. "The explosion sent some debris through a brick cylinder block wall and struck one worker in the leg, and that was a fatal injury, and injured another worker, also in the leg." One of those workers, 37-year-old Kevin Swafford, died at the scene. The other employee, 35-year-old Amanda Hyslop-Patrick, was taken to a hospital where she is listed in serious condition.

Secaucus work site accident kills construction supervisor

Secaucus, NJ - A construction worker from Pennsylvania was crushed yesterday when a large steel beam fell on him at a job site in Secaucus. The heavy hammer of a pile driver then fell onto the beam, officials said. John Westerholm, 43, of Stroudsburg, Pa., was pronounced dead at 10:29 a.m. on the site of the Transit Village project adjacent to Laurel Hill County Park, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFa zio said.

Construction worker, 22, dies after wall falls on him

Pikesville, MD - A construction worker died yesterday after a concrete wall collapsed on him in Pikesville, authorities said.Two construction workers were preparing to remove the wall just before noon yesterday when it fell on the man, county fire officials said. The wall, in a home under renovation in the 3500 block of Old Court Road, weighed more than 1,500 pounds, fire officials said. One construction worker got out of the way of the falling wall, which pinned the other man from his chest down, fire officials said. The victim was identified as Sean Hayes, 22, of the 500 block of Timber View Drive in Elkridge.

Worker crushed between 24-ton steel die, table

ROSEVILLE, Mich. -- Authorities say a suburban Detroit man was crushed to death in a workplace accident in Roseville. Police say the 42-year-old man was helping co-workers at True Industries move a 24-ton die with a crane yesterday morning when the accident occurred. He apparently became caught between the die and a steel table. The victim was pronounced dead at Saint John Hospital in Warren.

CARTHAGE, Mo. — A spokesman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it could be up to six months before the agency releases the findings of an investigation into the death on Sunday of a Schreiber Foods employee. William “Bill” McQuade, 52, 515 S. Gray Ave., Joplin, was pronounced dead at 7:09 a.m. Sunday by Jasper County Coroner Jerry Neil. McQuade was a sanitation worker at the cheese plant at 127 Claxton Ave. and had been employed there for four years.Neil said an autopsy was conducted Monday afternoon. He said it appeared that McQuade was cleaning a machine at the end of his shift and that the machine fell on McQuade, suffocating him. Neil said there were no superficial cuts or evidence that McQuade was crushed.

City Sanitation Worker Dies In Accident On BQE

Queens, NY - It was a surreal scene on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway westbound in Brooklyn Heights Monday morning as a sanitation truck teetered over the edge of a broken guard rail. The accident happened at 3 a.m. Monday. Sanitation officials say the truck skidded on the slick roadway, crashed and ejected the driver, who was killed. "As best as we can determine, there was diesel fuel on the ground prior to where the accident occurred and on the roadway past the accident," said Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty. The driver, 25-year-old Michael Occhino, fell out of the cab and onto Furman Street below. He died at Bellevue Hospital. The incident shook up another sanitation worker who lives nearby.

Bus crash was a traveler's nightmare

Plattsburgh, NY - Riders on bus that crashed upstate, killing 5, recall driver was fighting to regain control of the vehicle. The mother of the Greyhound bus driver killed in a crash near Plattsburgh on Monday night said she often worried about his safety -- and feared that someday he might die in an accident. The passengers were dozing, reading or simply gazing out the window as twilight settled over the eastern edge of the Adirondacks when they heard the harsh sound of tires as the bus driver suddenly struggled at the wheel. Ronald Burgess, 52, a separated father of two and graduate of Roosevelt High School who moved last year from Central Islip to Voorhees, N.J., was driving Greyhound bus No. 4014 from the Port Authority in Manhattan to Montreal when a tire blew out near Elizabethtown, police said.

Firefighter's N.J. Hometown Reeling Over Rookie's Death

RAMSEY, N.J. -- Michael Reilly's buddies at the volunteer rescue squad in his hometown were planning to present him with an old fire hydrant as a gift celebrating his recent graduation from the New York City fire academy..Instead, the rusty hydrant became the center of a makeshift memorial of candles, flowers and Reilly's rescue squad helmet outside the volunteer headquarters on Monday, a day after he died on the job in the Bronx, N.Y. Scores of firefighters were called to the one-story Bronx building around 12:30 p.m. Sunday, and five of them became trapped in the basement after the ground floor gave way while they were searching for victims, authorities said. Lt. Howard Carpluk, 43, died Monday. Carpluk and Reilly were operating a hose line together when the floor gave out. Reilly was the nozzle man, directing where the spray of water went, and Carpluk was by his side supervising.

Ozona worker dies in accident

Ozona, TX -- A 19-year-old Ozona man died Sunday morning after a compressor he was working on blew up. Felipe Perez, a Texas Energy worker, was working on a compressor in the back of a truck at about 7:40 a.m. on Highway 163 when the compressor blew up, police said. Perez, who suffered head injuries, was airlifted to Odessa where he was pronounced dead at 2:18 p.m., hospital officials said.

Man killed on condo work site

WILMINGTON, VT — A 35-year-old Pownal man died Friday morning in a construction accident at Mountain Ponds Condominium Units on Haystack Road. Wilmington Police said Stacy James Sousis was electrocuted when the metal extension ladder he was carrying struck an electrical wire. Wilmington Police Chief Joseph Szarejko said Sousis was working as a subcontractor for a roofing company. According to witnesses Sousis was carrying the ladder down a small flight of stairs and as he stepped onto grass the metal ladder made contact with the electrical wire, police said. Szarejko did not know the name of the subcontractor for which Sousis was working.

Man dies in accident at sawmill

FL - A Dixie County man died Saturday evening following an apparent accident while he was working at a sawmill. Gregory Scott Johnson, 30, was pronounced dead about 6 p.m. at the scene in the sawmill section of the Suwannee Lumber Co. off U.S. 19 outside Cross City. Johnson's death is under investigation by the Suwannee County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA. Sheriff's investigators said foul play was not suspected in Johnson's death. Deputy Mark Garcia said the accident happened while Johnson was doing some maintenance or repair work on a machine near a pair of hydraulic cylinders used to pull logs toward a saw. Although Johnson was not working on the cylinders, he was somehow crushed between them. Garcia said that when he arrived, a co-worker had pulled Johnson's body from the machinery.

Highway worker dies after crash in construction zone

Colorado City, CO - A state highway worker is dead following a crash in a construction zone near Colorado City. A semitrailer crashed into a pickup truck and careened into people working on a repaving project on I-25 in Pueblo County. Thirty-four-year-old Charles Mather died after being taken to the hospital in Pueblo. He leaves behind a wife who's pregnant with the couple's first child. Another worker who jumped off a bridge to avoid the approaching vehicles suffered two broken ankles. It's the second time in two months that a CDOT worker has been killed on the job. Rodger Bell of Mancos died in June after being electrocuted while working on a repaving project on U.S. Highway 160 in southwestern Colorado.

Somerset man dies in industrial accident

Jefferson Township, PA - The death of a Somerset man as part of an industrial accident in a Jefferson Township quarry Tuesday morning was ruled an accident. Larry Paul Yoder, 61, was accidentally struck and run over by a payloader while working for the New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. in Jefferson Township, according to a state police news release. “It was in our Somerset quarry,” Steve Tomlinson, safety director with New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., said. “We were black-topping the lot. This was the first day of the project.” Yoder was pronounced dead at the scene at 1 p.m. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, Somerset County Coroner Wallace Miller said.

New Milford man dies in tree accident

SHERMAN, CT -- Ward Stumpf Jr. had worked around wood for more than 20 years. The 49-year-old New Milford man was a carpenter and often did tree work for friends and neighbors. This summer, he decided to start his own business and called it Merryall Tree Works. On Tuesday, while working in the heavy morning rain on a job in Sherman, Stumpf died when he fell 30 feet from a tree he was helping to trim at a house on Atchison Cove Road. Connecticut police state trooper J. Festa said Stumpf fell around 10:50 a.m., after a limb he was working on suddenly snapped. Festa said Stumpf was pronounced dead at the scene by the medical examiner.

One dead in Wilco explosion

TX - Journeyman welder Casey Teague, 52, was killed in a explosion Tuesday afternoon. Teague was welding on the top of a tanker truck that was used to haul oil when it exploded at Fuel Blenders, Inc. around 5 p.m. Teague died instantly. The company is near FM 1660 and 973. Emergency workers shut down a half-mile radius around Fuel Blenders.

Captain's duties suspended following diving deaths

Barrow, AK - The captain of a Seattle-based Coast Guard ice breaker has been temporarily relieved of his duties while investigators work to determine the cause of a diving accident north of Barrow, Alaska, that killed two divers earlier this month. Vice Admiral Charles Wurster, commander of the Coast Guard's Pacific Area, decided this morning to remove Capt. Douglas G. Russell from the Healy, citing loss of confidence in Russell's ability to command, Petty Officer Russ Tippets said from Alameda, Calif. "This does not happen often," Tippets said. Russell will return to Seattle and will be "working a desk job until the investigation is complete," he said. On Aug. 17, Lt. Jessica Hill, 31, of St. Augustine, Fla., and Petty Officer 2nd Class Steven Duque, 22, of Miami, died during a practice dive meant to familiarize them with the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean. At the time, the Cutter Healy was on a scientific mission about 500 miles north of Barrow, according to the Coast Guard. Capt. Daniel K. Oliver, a former commanding officer of the Healy, has taken over command of the 420-foot vessel, one of three polar ice breakers operated by the Coast Guard, Tippets said. The Healy is scheduled to leave Kodiak this afternoon and is expected to arrive in Seattle Sept. 4.

Man killed in loading dock accident

Flint, MI - Victim was pinned between truck, dock. There were new details Wednesday afternoon regarding a deadly accident Wednesday morning at a Flint loading dock. It all happened at the UPF Inc. plant near the intersection of James P. Cole and Leith Street on Flint's east side. Police have identified the man killed there as 59-year-old James Arthur Palmatier.

Truck Company Owner Dies In Construction Accident

Springfield, VA - An Alexandria man working on the Springfield interchange project was killed yesterday after being hit in the chest by a board that he had wedged between two dump trucks, police and construction officials said. Julio Alvarez Rodriguez, 43, owner of Julio's Trucking in Alexandria, was trying to haul debris away from the construction site, said Larry Cloyed, manager of the interchange project for the Virginia Department of Transportation. The tailgate on Rodriguez's truck would not shut properly, so he tried to close it by placing a three-foot-long piece of thick wood against the gate while another truck backed up against it. Rodriguez was the fifth worker to be killed at the Springfield site since construction began in 1999.

Worker killed at car wash

FL - Man had made plans to return to his wife, son living in Brazil. A man's dream of finally making enough money to return home to his wife and son in Brazil ended when a car wash co-worker ran him over about 8 a.m. Friday, police said. Reinaldo De Marios, 57, was killed at Miracle Car Wash at 1400 N. Federal Highway when co-worker Gildasio Santos, 35, drove a customer's 2007 Mercedes SUV from the car wash garage, police said

Man, 43, dies under 30-foot pile of mulch

Palm Beach, FL - A 43-year-old man died Thursday afternoon after he was buried under a 30-foot pile of mulch, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said. James Ross was moving the mulch sometime after 12:30 p.m. when it collapsed on top of him, the Sheriff's Office said. Ross was at his nursery, Top Notch Tree Farm, at 9655 87th Place South. His wife, Polly, realized the mulch fell on him about 2:30 p.m. and summoned co-workers to dig him free. Firefighters declared Ross dead at the scene. Investigators did not know whether Ross suffocated or if he was killed by the impact of the falling mulch. It was not immediately clear if Ross was using a backhoe or if he was using a shovel to move some mulch, the Sheriff's Office said. Homicide detectives and inspectors from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were investigating.

Water district worker found dead

ANGELS CAMP, CA — An Angels Camp man, a Calaveras County Water District employee, was found dead in an agency vehicle Thursday at a remote district radio repeater site. The Calaveras County Sheriff’s Department reported no evidence of foul play in the death of Brian Kirkendall, 37, who had been reported missing Tuesday. A cause of death was not known Thursday.

7-Eleven clerk is killed over taco

STERLING HEIGHTS, MI - Father of three shot after argument in store in Sterling Heights, one of safest cities in U.S. A 7-Eleven clerk who was fatally shot by a customer early Thursday morning may have lost his life over a $1.16 taco. Sterling Heights police say they have identified a prime suspect in the shooting as Kenyatta Khuru Davis, 35, of Shelby Township. "We are engaged in a manhunt," said Capt. Dave Vinson, acting Sterling Heights police chief. Authorities said a videotape shows the suspect leaving the store, then coming back and shooting Utica resident Wajed Baig four times after an argument around 1 a.m. Thursday. Store employee Lori Hipwell said she had heard that the dispute was over a "taquito" -- a small taco that 7-Eleven sells. Police acknowledged that Hipwell's version of events was correct, based on what eyewitnesses told them.

Cheyenne police officer dies

CHEYENNE, MT - A police officer died Wednesday after crashing into the side of a pickup truck on his motorcycle two days earlier. Dennis Shuck, 54, was a 12-year veteran of the Police Department who specialized in traffic enforcement and crime-scene photography, according to the department. He also served as a patrol officer, court officer, crime-scene technician and speed laser instructor. He received numerous commendations from inside and outside the department. According to the Wyoming Highway Patrol, Shuck was pursuing a vehicle Monday morning when he tried passing a pickup on the right. The truck, driven by Brian D. Carlson, 39, of Cheyenne, turned right as Shuck approached, and Shuck drove into the truck's right front side.

Worker killed in fall, Hanna trimming trees at the time

Morris, IL - The nephew of a local tree service company owner is dead after a work-related fall Wednesday in the Goose Lake area. Thomas E. Hanna, 32, was pronounced dead at 11:07 a.m. in the emergency room at Morris Hospital. Grundy County Coroner John Callahan said the preliminary investigation indicated Hanna, of 1346 N. Division St., Morris, died of multiple concussions. The autopsy was scheduled for today. Hanna was the nephew to Beshoar Tree Service owner Michael Beshoar Sr., and a 12- to 15-year employee of the company, Callahan said. The fatality is the first for the long-time local company headquartered on East Pine Bluff Road.

Machine Falls, Killing Factory Worker, Victim's Identity Not Released

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A woman was killed Thursday morning while working at a Central Ohio factory, officials said. The incident occurred at Insulfoam on Groveport Road shortly after 7 a.m., NBC 4's John Ivanic reported. Investigators said the woman was crushed to death while working around heavy factory equipment. Officials said the woman was cleaning a machine when it came down across her chest. Investigators said the company converts large blocks of styrofoam into packing material. The victim was a temporary worker. She was taken to Grant Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Electrical worker dies at Avery Island

AVERY ISLAND, La. - A man working at the Tabasco plant on Avery Island died after falling from a ladder. Iberia Parish coroner, Doctor J-B Falterman Senior says 29-year-old Brad Dore was pronounced dead at Iberia Medical Center. Dore was an employee of Derouen Electric and was doing electrical work at the plant but there is no indication that Dore was electrocuted. Falterman said the death is being classified as accidental at this time. A full autopsy will take up to four weeks.

Man Dies After Falling From Billboard

FORT WALTON BEACH, FL -- A man died after falling from a billboard in Fort Walton Beach. Now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Officials say the man -- who has not been identified -- fell while working atop a Florida Lottery billboard. He died at the scene. The death is being ruled an accident. A bus with high school students heard the man's partner yelling and saw the man on the ground, but officials say they didn't witness the fall.

Construction Worker Killed in Shopping Mall Accident

TX - A construction worker was killed after being thrown from an extension ladder at a Northwest Side shopping mall Tuesday morning. The accident happened at the Shops at La Cantera outside Foley's. Police said the worker's ladder was fully extended when the cable snapped, causing the ladder to collapse. The man was thrown to the concrete and died at the scene. He was wearing a harness, but police aren't sure if he had it attached to the ladder.

Plant worker dies on the job

VA - State safety officials are investigating the Monday death of a worker at Carolina By-Products. Joseph Leo Howard, 51, of Hope Mills, died about 10 p.m., said Heather Crews, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Labor. A preliminary report indicates Howard may have been electrocuted as he was resetting a circuit breaker, she said. The Department of Labor is investigating. Carolina By-Products, at 1309 Industrial Drive, is a division of Valley Proteins Inc., a rendering and meat byproduct processing business based in Winchester, Va.

Construction worker dies at Selma paper mill

SELMA, Ala. - Authorities are investigating the death of a construction worker who apparently collapsed at International Paper Co.'s Riverdale Mill in Selma. John Blue, 28, who is believed to have lost consciousness Wednesday while elevated on scaffolding, was pronounced dead by Dallas County Coroner Alan Dailey at Vaughan Regional Medical Center. Blue was employed by Pettyline Construction and worked in the No. 2 Bleach Plant. Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman said inspectors with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will visit the plant Friday to investigate. An autopsy also was planned. "He was up on some scaffolding. He had his safety harness on, and one of his co-workers got down to go get some tools," Huffman said. "When he returned the guy was just sitting there, unconscious."

Man killed when struck by 60 pounds of cement

CLAYTON, N.Y. (AP) — A North Country Amish Farmer died Wednesday when a 60-pound piece of concrete fell on his head. Andy Hostetler, 45, was dismantling a 70-foot silo on his farm in Clayton when his son, David, 22, dropped the piece of concrete over the side of the silo, state police said. It bounced off the side and hit Hostetler at 10:50 a.m. Hostetler was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown.

Workplace death is second in nine days

FLINT, MI - Mark Allred said he knows firsthand the pain that a Flint man's family most likely feels after a workplace accident killed the man Wednesday morning. James A. Palmatier, 59, an employee of Penske Corp. in Flint, was killed while helping a Bell Warehousing driver back into a loading dock at UPF Manufacturing on the former Buick City property at Cole Boulevard and Leith Street. The death was the second fatal workplace accident in the area in little more than a week.

Flagman Killed At Construction Site By Dump Truck

WILDOMAR, Calif. -- A flagman/traffic director at a construction site was killed Monday when a dump truck hauling asphalt ran him down. The truck fatally struck 51-year-old Ruben Payan Beltran of Escondido at 22595 Palomar St., just north of Clinton Keith Road, about 11:15 a.m., according to investigators with the Coroner's Bureau of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. The victim, who was directing traffic at a road-paving project construction site, was pronounced dead at the scene, said sheriff's Sgt. Evan Petersen. The truck that hit him was in use at the site as well, Petersen said. "Sheriff's investigators determined no criminal intent in the matter," Petersen said. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health, which investigates workplace fatalities, was notified and responded to the scene of the collision, Petersen said.

Bullskin farmer killed when tractor flips

PA - A Fayette County farmer was killed Monday when the tractor he was operating flipped over, pinning him. The Coroner's Office identified the man as Robert Holub, 59, of Bullskin Township. The accident occurred on the Holub family farm, located along Ohler Road near Kreinbrook Hill. Deputy Coroner Jessie Langer said Holub was driving a tractor that was pulling a tractor that had gotten stuck. Langer said Holub's tractor "came back and flipped on him." Langer said she pronounced Holub dead at the scene at 8:20 p.m., a little more than an hour after the accident was reported to Fayette 911.

Worker dies in fall while painting Crystal Mountain ski lift

CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, Wash. -- A worker was killed Thursday when he fell from a lift at the Crystal Mountain ski resort. The Pierce County medical examiner's office identified him as Randy Reeves, 39, hometown unavailable. He was a contract worker who was in a basket while painting a tower on the Rainier Express lift, Crystal Mountain manager Scott Bowen said. He was somehow knocked out of the basket and fell about 40 feet. Reeves was conscious when other workers found him, but stopped breathing shortly after.

Forest Service employee dies in fall near Yakutat

Yakutat, AK - Alaska State Troopers say a U.S. Forest Service employee died in a fall near Yakutat. Forty-four-year-old Leon Stuck of Juneau died Wednesday. Troopers say Stuck was attempting to climb down Mount Akwe to an area where he and another Forest Service employee could be picked up by helicopter. Troopers say he lost his footing and fell about 150 feet. He was transported to Yakutat Medical Clinic, where he was pronounced dead. The state medical examiner will perform an autopsy.

Salisbury Post worker killed in wreck

Salisbury, NC - A Salisbury newspaper pressroom worker died in a wreck early Friday after apparently falling asleep while driving home from work, a N.C. Highway Patrol trooper said. Salisbury Post employee Gary Coble, 46, of 4265 Cauble Road in Salisbury, was driving a sport utility vehicle north of West Innes Street when he crossed the center line, ran off the road and crashed into a ditch, Trooper M.E. Heon said. Coble was thrown from the SUV and the vehicle rolled over him, Heon said. Coble wasn't wearing his seat belt. Troopers were contacted at 3 a.m. and Coble was declared dead at the scene of the accident, Heon said.

Shreveport police officer dies on duty, Death appears to be health-related; authorities to investigate

Shreveport, LA - An on-duty Shreveport police officer died Saturday in his patrol car from an apparent heart attack. While authorities say preliminary reports suggest the death was health-related, the Shreveport Police Department will investigate the death, spokeswoman Kacee Hargrave said, The officer, Adam Wilson, 30, of Shreveport, had stopped to check on his elderly aunt who lives in the 3300 block of Darien Street in the Queensborough neighborhood, Shreveport Fire Department spokesman Brian Crawford said. When Shreveport police and firefighters responded to a 4:15 p.m. Caddo 911 call about an officer being slumped over in his patrol car, they found Wilson unresponsive.

Popular clerk slain at store

Houston, TX - Gas station's owner said victim had volunteered to fill in for colleague. A popular southeast Houston convenience store clerk was shot and killed Monday afternoon in an apparent robbery, police said. Customers found Hasan "Russell" Alam dead on the floor behind an open cash register about 4 p.m. at the Valero gas station at 11665 Fuqua. The jovial clerk, a favorite with regulars, had volunteered to work for another employee who stayed home Monday to care for a sick child, a store owner said. Sgt. T. Ruland of the Houston Police Department Homicide Division said the clerk had been shot at least twice. Money was missing from his register.

Trucking company employee crushed to death

Salt Lake City, UT - A 22-year-old employee of a Salt Lake City trucking company was crushed to death Thursday evening when he was pinned between the cab and the trailer of a tractor-trailer. The man was moving trucks at Estes Express Line, 1900 South and Industrial Road, when he accidentally jack-knifed one of them, Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman Scott Freitag said. The truck crushed the man after he got out to inspect the vehicle for damage and either failed to set the parking brake or put the truck into gear, Freitag said.

Construction Worker Killed in Fall from Hi-rise

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- A construction worker (Scott Ewell, 43) fell to his death from a Southbank high-rise under construction. Jacksonville Fire & Rescue officials tell First Coast News the man was working on the roof of the Strand Tower on Riverplace Boulevard when he fell to a sixth floor deck Monday afternoon.The victim has not been identified. A spokesperson for the Auchter Company says the victim was not wearing, or required to wear fall-protection gear. Dave Auchter, VP of the Auchter Company, says there are reports the man may have been trying to catch something or got his ankle tangled up in a cable.

Gunshot, not wreck, killed man

GREENSBORO, NC -- The death of a taxicab driver, killed last week while he was on the job, is now being investigated as a homicide. Abbas Eltaib Elshikh, of Greensboro, was found in the driver's seat of his cab after it hit a motorcycle, a van and two houses late Friday. He was taken to Moses Cone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Greensboro police had said Elshikh was the victim of a traffic accident. Then the, autopsy report came back from the state medical examiner's office in Chapel Hill. Police said it showed the 36-year-old died of a gunshot wound. Elshikh was on a call for United Yellow Cab Co. when he died, dispatcher Diane Grace said Sunday. She wasn't sure if he already had picked up the fare when he was shot.

Worker killed in accident

NEW GARDEN, DE-- A 27-year-old worker died of a severe head injury suffered at Toughkenemon mushroom farm last week. Heriberto Ayala, of Oxford, had worked in the spawning process at Modern Mushroom. He was injured by a machine used in that process, according to sources. The accident took place Aug. 12, said Leni Uddyback-Forston, a spokeswoman at U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in Philadelphia. Ayala died at Christiana Hospital in Delaware sometime between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, she said.

Man injured in UNCC explosion dies

CHARLOTTE, NC -- A 53-year-old University of North Carolina at Charlotte employee died Wednesday from injuries sustained in an on-campus explosion earlier this year. In April, Edward Seamon and other facilities management workers were near a manhole between the Fretwell and Friday buildings when a flash fire forced the manhole into the air. Seamon was immediately transported to the North Carolina Jaycee's Burn Center in Chapel Hill. Three other men were injured but they were released from the hospital the day of the accident.

Man dies after coming up from Oriskany dive

FL - A man who had just surfaced after diving Saturday afternoon on the Oriskany died of unknown causes. Details of the incident were sketchy and there were conflicting reports of what actually occurred. A U.S. Coast Guard boat was dispatched to meet a recreational boat en route to shore with a man who experienced problems after a dive on the decommissioned aircraft carrier, Petty Officer Troy Smith said . "It was diving related," Smith said. However, Stan Kirkland, regional spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the man was back in the boat from the dive when he became ill so he was not considered to have suffered a diving accident. "Apparently, he may have had a heart attack," Kirkland said.

Funeral Service Held For Murdered Columbus Taxi Driver

Columbus, GA - Family and friends said goodbye to a Columbus taxi driver, who was murdered on the job. The funeral of Jack Horne was held today at the Striffler-Hamby Funeral Home on Macon Road. Horne had been missing for nearly a week. His body was discovered on Ft. Benning last Friday. Today Jack Horne's family, friends, and co-workers came together to remember the man they lovingly called "Papa Bear". Those who knew Horne said he was a sweet, caring, and compassionate man, who would do anything for a friend. As people walked into the funeral home, many said they couldn't believe someone would harm a man like Jack Horne. Horne's family was too upset to speak today, but friends of the family said they wanted to thank the community for all the support during this difficult time.

Kulpmont worker dies on project

HARRISBURG, PA (AP) — A Kulpmont construction worker died Tuesday after he fell from the end of a Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge being built over the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg. Raymond Miller, 44, fell about 70 feet and landed on a dirt road on a small island in the Susquehanna River. Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said the man belonged to a crew of workers responsible for placing concrete segments across the new six-lane, twin-span bridge.

Expressway Worker Dies, Fell 35 feet early Tuesday morning

Council Bluffs, NE - David Vierkandt, a Hawkins Construction employee working on the West Dodge Expressway, has died after falling from the eastbound expressway Tuesday. Vierkandt, 35, fell an estimated 35 feet and landed on a bridge below. The Council Bluffs resident was in critical condition when he was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center. A UNMC spokesman has confirmed with Channel 6 that Vierkandt died from his injuries. Vierkandt was flattening out concrete that workers were laying on the eastbound expressway Tuesday morning. He had been working for about two hours before he fell. OSHA continues to investigate the incident.

Factory worker dies in attempt to fix drill press

NORTH BALTIMORE, OH — A Continental Structural Plastics employee was killed Wednesday when he became caught in a drill press on which he was working. Police said Donald W. Lynch, 53, of Tiffin was pronounced dead at the plant by an air ambulance physician responding to the scene.Chief Gerald Perry said Mr. Lynch apparently was trying to fix a machine that drills mounting holes in auto parts manufactured at the plant. He had worked 33 years for the company. A spokesman for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the agency was investigating whether any federal health and safety laws were violated.

Officer dies during surgery

Baltimore, MD - MTA policeman was struck while escorting funeral procession. A Maryland Transportation Authority police officer has died, more than eight months after he was struck and critically injured while escorting a funeral procession in Baltimore. Motor Officer Robert Krauss, 39, died Friday night during surgery at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he had undergone several surgeries since the accident. Krauss was on his motorcycle when he was struck by a van on Dec. 21, 2005.

Official: OSHA has no records of inspections

AUSTINTOWN, OH — An Occupational Health and Safety Administration spokesman says he found no records that a building being used as a steel warehouse where one worker died was inspected by OSHA. Rob Medlock said Friday from his Cleveland office that buildings are generally inspected for workers' safety, not for the structural condition of the building itself. "We wouldn't go in looking at the integrity of the building. That very seldom comes into a normal inspection," he said. "This was a concrete floor that came down — that's very rare. Obviously there are capacity issues." He said the investigation will determine the load limit of the floor at Penn Ohio Logistics and how much steel was on it when it gave way. He said the investigation will take several weeks. Penn Ohio Logistics, which has been operating only a few months at its present location, is part of an industrial complex on Hendricks Road, the former Youngstown Steel Door. Two Penn Ohio employees were injured Tuesday afternoon when stacked steel fell through the concrete floor. Raymond J. Queen, 39, of Warren, died early Thursday from his injuries.

Bettendorf man dies after fall

Davenport, IA- A masonry worker died Friday morning after falling from the roof of Sudlow Intermediate School, Davenport. Alan R. Willits, 51, of Bettendorf, died Friday at Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport. The incident happened about 10:30 a.m., according to a news release from the Davenport School District. The construction crew was doing tuck-pointing work when the worker apparently fell from the roof, the district reported. The company for whom the man worked could not be reached for comment.

Market's owner is killed in robbery

STRATHMORE, CA — Woman and her husband operated store 40 years. Robbers shot and killed the co-owner of a Strathmore market Friday night, a month after she celebrated the business's 40th anniversary. Two masked men entered the La Tienda Market at 8:50p.m. and removed an undetermined amount of money from the cash register during an armed robbery, according to the Tulare County Sheriff's Department. Before they fled, the suspects shot at two people operating the store, according to sheriff's reports. The bullets missed one employee but hit one of the store's owners, 68-year-old Mary Sanchez. She died at the scene. The suspects haven't been arrested.

Two workers slain at Terrell restaurant

Terrell, TX - Two Terrell pizza restaurant employees were shot and killed late Saturday in an apparent robbery. Terrell police Det. S.W. Johns said the victims were discovered around midnight at the Pizza Hut in the 700 block of West Moore Ave. There was no sign of forced entry, and Det. Johns said the restaurant was probably still open when the employees were shot. An undisclosed amount of money was taken from the restaurant. According to police, no witnesses have been identified. Police said the victims were Patricia Oferosky, 40, of Wills Point, and Stephen Mitcheltree, 47, of Terrell. Det. Johns said these were the first two homicides of the year in Terrell. Terrell is 30 miles east of Dallas and is the largest town in Kaufman County.

The three other firefighters who were injured when the floor collapsed were taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where fire officials said their conditions were serious but stable. At least eight other firefighters were treated at Jacobi for less serious injuries and released; a total of 23 firefighters suffered some injury at the blaze, the department said.

Worker killed in fall

The nephew of a local tree service company owner is dead after a work-related fall Wednesday in the Goose Lake area. Thomas E. Hanna, 32, was pronounced dead at 11:07 a.m. in the emergency room at Morris Hospital.

Hanna was the nephew to Beshoar Tree Service owner Michael Beshoar Sr., and a 12- to 15-year employee of the company, Callahan said. Callahan said Hanna fell 35 feet to his death from a lift bucket while trimming a tree just after 10 a.m. Wednesday.

He said another worker at the site noted Hanna had finished cutting through a limb at the time, and was attempting to maneuver the bucket further up into the tree for more trimming. During the move, the boom on the bucket caught the stump of the severed limb. The boom then slid around and off the stump, causing a jerking sensation that propelled Hanna out of the bucket, Callahan said. He said Hanna was not wearing a safety belt or any other type of safety device. Callahan did not know if that was a requirement.

Woman dies in industrial accident

Columbus, OH -- An industrial accident at an Obetz manufacturing company killed an employee this morning. Molly Glover, 53, died at Grant Medical Center, said Franklin County Coroner Brad Lewis.

WILLIAMSBURG, PA - A Blair County farmer died after an accident this afternoon on his Biddle Road farm, the Blair County Coroner’s Office said.

The deceased is Glen R. Over, 48, of Williamsburg RR 1, according to Bolger Funeral Home Inc., the funeral home handling his arrangments. Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross said that she would release the man’s name once family notifications were completed. Over was pronounced dead at the scene from massive blunt force trauma to the head and chest. He was found pinned under his tractor. He apparently got too close to the hillside before the accident, Kerns said. His tractor pulling a brush mower rolled off a 15-foot embankment about 1 p.m.

Truck Driver Killed in Freeway Collision With Other Big Rig

LOS ANGELES, August 11, 2006 - A truck driver was killed Friday in a fiery collision involving two big rigs on the 5 Freeway near the Los Angeles- Orange county line, authorities said.

It appeared that one truck rear-ended the other, said Los Angeles County Fire supervising dispatcher Phil Ulloa, adding that one of the drivers burned to death.

Truck driver killed in Route 76 crash

VALLEY CENTER, CA – The driver of a tractor-trailer rig was killed and two men were injured Wednesday morning when the big rig hurtled out of control on state Route 76 and crashed into a pickup parked on the shoulder of the highway.

The big rig crashed into a nearby orange grove, snapped a utility pole and flipped over, trapping the driver between the cab and the road, said Officer Tom Kerns of the California Highway Patrol. Rescuers were unable to free him.

Worker dies in accident at Moyle cement plant

Ontonagon, MI — A 30-year-old man died Wednesday evening while working at the Moyle Construction Cement Plant on M-38 in Ontonagon. Tom Kestie, of Dollar Bay, was found trapped between an end loader and a conveyer belt at about 5:25 p.m. He passed away at 7:13 p.m.

Jeff Moyle, president of Moyle Construction & Development Inc., said Kestie had been employed with the company for three years as a concrete truck driver and operator.

Moyle said Kestie was doing work around the yard when the accident happened. “It happened in late afternoon and they were almost done for the day,” he said. “He was there by himself.”

Trucker Dies After Highway Crash

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- Investigators said the driver of a tractor-trailer is dead after an accident Thursday morning on Interstate 75 near the Middletown exit in Warren County. The Ohio State Patrol said the semi ran off the road and crashed into a guardrail and jackknifed.

According to investigators, the driver may have suffered a heart attack before the accident. The driver was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Ohio Truck Driver Killed In New Mexico

MESITA, N.M. (AP) -- Authorities in New Mexico have identified a truck driver who died in an accident last week as a southwest Ohio man.

New Mexico State Police say 41-year-old James Brown, of Wilmington, was killed last Thursday when his westbound tractor-trailer rig ran off I-40 near Mesita near Laguna Pueblo, about 30 miles west of Albuquerque. A State Police spokesman says Brown apparently lost control of the truck, and it went into a deep ravine.

Capt. Al Della Fave, state police spokesman, said the tow-truck driver stopped the International flatbed wrecker in the southbound right shoulder in front of a Ford Taurus, also parked in the shoulder. The Taurus, driven by Gang Chen of Jersey City, had a flat front-right tire. The wrecker operator was later identified as James Hartsfield, 32, of North Brunswick, a driver for Puleio Service Center in North Brunswick.

Road worker killed

SHERMAN TOWNSHIP, MI — A Tuesday afternoon accident that claimed the life of a 40-year-old Vicksburg man while working on a road construction project at the corner of Atwater and Ruth roads remains under investigation today.

According to a press release from the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, the Vicksburg man, whose name is not being released at this time, was working for J & L Milling Inc. of Schoolcraft when he was killed.

Chattanooga, TN -- A man Chattanooga police could not immediately identify died Wednesday when the tractor-trailer he was driving on Interstate 24 collided with a second truck, skidded several feet, overturned and burst into flames.

The two trucks had been traveling east into Chattanooga around 11:30 a.m. when, for unknown reasons, the truck in the left lane and driven by the victim drifted into the other truck's lane, according to Chattanooga Police Department Sgt. Tom Layne.

Pilot killed in crash of crop-duster identified

MADERA, CA -- The Madera County Sheriff-Coroner's Office announced Monday that the crop-duster pilot killed Saturday in a crash near Chowchilla was Ron Wilson, 64, of Fresno. Wilson apparently died on impact after the single-engine Air Tractor crop-duster hit the ground in an alfalfa field along Avenue 20 just west of Road 10.

Police capture ex-convict suspected of slaying officer

ORANGE N.J. -- A 19-year-old reputed gang member awaiting trial for robbery was arrested Tuesday and charged with slaying a police officer with a blast from a shotgun fired as the officer responded to a report of gunshots in the area the night before.

He was charged with murder in the death of Detective Kieran T. Shields, and faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted. Bail was set at $3 million. Shields, 32, was killed at about 11:30 p.m. Monday when he and his partner responded to a report of gunshots. The five-year veteran was wearing a bulletproof vest but was hit in the neck area by at least one blast fired from a porch as he approached the rear of a house.

Paramedic died of heart-related causes

Columbia, S.C. --A Richland County paramedic who collapsed at the scene of a stabbing and later died was the victim of cardiac problems. Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said this morning that Lt. Woody King's death was "heart related."

The 42-year-old Irmo man died a little after 8 a.m. at Palmetto Health Richland after collapsing at Broad River Terrace apartments. He was there backing up another paramedic crew responding to a stabbing call.

Lobster fisherman dies after falling overboard

HAMPTON N.H. --A Portsmouth man died Wednesday after getting tangled in lobster netting and falling overboard about two miles off the coast, authorities said. The captain of the fishing boat Virginia Ann called the Coast Guard around 3 p.m. to report that his sternman had been pulled overboard.

Man dies in equipment accident

A rural Mahnomen, Minn., man died Tuesday when the truck he was repairing brakes on rolled over him.

Alvin Sweep, 59, was working on the brakes of a semitrailer/truck combination with a friend Tuesday afternoon when the unit rolled ahead, pinning him underneath.

Worker electrocuted at UNC-CH

CHAPEL HILL, NC -- A Burlington man was electrocuted Wednesday at UNC-Chapel Hill's Kenan Stadium as he and co-workers replaced fixtures and bulbs on the stadium's field lights. Leland S. Williams, 31, died just before noon.

Williams was working on a light bank on the stadium's southeast end, 50 to 60 feet above the ground. According to the state Department of Labor, preliminary reports say Williams was using insulated pliers to cut away insulation when he touched a live wire. "Sometimes live wires are overlooked," said department spokesman Juan Santos. "So, while [electrocutions are] very unfortunate accidents, they're not uncommon."

In September, another contract worker was killed on campus. A truck driver working near a campus construction site was killed when he got out of his cement mixer but failed to put on the parking brake. The truck rolled backward, pinning the man between an open truck door and a fence.

Highway 40 worker is killed; DWI is suspected

FRONTENAC, MO -- Motorist charged Police say a Town and Country man was driving drunk when he crashed into equipment about 3:50 a.m. in Frontenac. More road work is being done at night -- when drunken drivers and higher speeds can mean more risk for crews. Police said Michael Poahway heard the screeching tires and tried to run out of the way.

But what seemed the safest place for the highway worker -- between a concrete barrier and a road-grading machine -- turned out to be a deathtrap Wednesday morning. A Nissan Sentra, with what officers said was a drunken driver behind the wheel, struck the heavy equipment and spun around, fatally pinning Poahway, 50, of Cache, Okla. His death was the fourth in a St. Louis-area construction zone this year.

Delivery driver dead in crash with big rig truck in Hughson

HUGHSON, CA -- A Federal Express employee died Tuesday morning when his delivery van collided with a big rig at Seventh Avenue and Hatch Road. The delivery driver was pronounced dead on the scene, and the big rig driver, hauling gravel for Derrick Cunningham Trucking in Oakdale, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Gulfstream worker first one killed at plant

SAVANNAH, GA -- A Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. employee was killed while working on an aircraft early Thursday morning, according to a Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police report. Michael Wullert, 39, was the first fatality at the plant, which opened in 1958.

The report stated that another employee, Pat Johnson, noticed Wullert's feet hanging motionless from the maintenance access panel of an aircraft, about 2:15 a.m. Johnson felt a slight current when he reached into the aircraft to shake Wullert's foot, He was unresponsive.

Worker killed in Calvin Twp.

CASSOPOLIS - A St. Johns man lost his life in Calvin Township Monday afternoon making contact with high voltage. The employee pronounced dead at the scene was identified by the sheriff as Curtis Sorell, 34, an employee of Kent Power Co. of Kent who was working on a new electrical substation.

Worker dies from fall while trimming trees in Princeton

Greenville, SC -- A 54-year-old man died Monday when he fell 50 feet while trimming trees around power lines on U.S. 25 in the Princeton community, Laurens County Coroner F.G. Nichols said. James Rogers Gentry, of Golf Course Road in Ninety Six, was working for Davey Tree Expert Co. doing contract work for Duke Energy, according to a news release from Davey Tree.

Worker dies from burn injuries after blast, fire

DAYTON, Tenn. -- A plant worker with Fuji Hunt Specialty Products in Dayton has died from injuries he sustained in a plant explosion last week, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Michael Lockhart, 35, of Dunlap, Tenn., died Sunday at Erlanger hospital in Chattanooga, hospital officials said. Mr. Lockhart was burned over 85 percent of his body during an explosion and fire at the plant early Thursday, officials said. Two other workers received minor injuries, plant officials said.

Tree service worker dies as saw taps power line

DUNEDIN, FL - A tree trimmer cutting branches off a gigantic oak in a back yard was electrocuted Monday after his saw apparently touched a 7,200-volt power line, authorities said.

Jaime Bautista, 29, was working in a five-person crew for Hanson Tree Service of Clearwater. During the morning, they were trimming large trees at 1149 Nelson St., a home just east of the Dunedin Country Club. Four crew members were working in front of the house, while Bautista was trimming a grand oak in the back yard, investigators said. He was wearing a harness and using a manual pole saw. Just before 10:45 a.m., Bautista was roughly 30 feet up in the tree when his saw apparently touched what is called a primary line, the most powerful line that can be found in a residential area, said Chief Tom Brennan of the Dunedin Fire Department.

Factory death an accident

Geneva, IL -- An Aurora man who died when struck by a crane at a Geneva factory had cocaine in his system, according to a Kane County coroner's report.

Jose Vargas, 41, of 428 E. Park Ave., was struck in the back of the head by a crane carrying metal pipes May 31 at the end of his 12-hour shift at Industrial Hard Chrome, 501 Fluid Power Drive. The blow knocked Vargas forward and impaled him on a piece of metal in a cleaning vat. Vargas died instantly.

Woman killed in accident identified

Rock Hill, SC -- Authorities on Thursday released the identity of a woman who died after an accident at the former Celanese plant near Interstate 77. Giselle Prairie, 42, of Charlotte died after falling 8 feet from a mezzanine level, state officials said.

Cel-River Services, which is in charge of work on the former Celanese site, has declined to comment on what it called "a tragic event." Company president Mark Mather said only that "a nonwork-related fatality" involved one of his female employees. A similar forklift accident killed one person in 1981. Details were unavailable on a death reported at the site in 1985.

Dump Truck Backs Over, Kills Fla. Worker

KINGSLAND, Ga. -- A 59-year-old man on a land-clearing project on Highway 40 at Haddock Road was killed when a truck apparently backed over him, according to WJXT-TV.

Kingsland police are investigating what was described as a construction accident at the site where a Lowe's store will be built. An officer said Ruben Maloy, of Hilliard, Fla., was apparently backed over by a fully loaded dump truck early in Thursday afternoon. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Farmer killed after ATV rolls near Minto

MINTO N.D. -- An all-terrain vehicle driven by a farmer checking his crops overturned when he tried to turn the vehicle, pinning him under it, and he died at the scene, the Highway Patrol said. Authorities said the man was driving the ATV on a gravel section line to check his crops. The ATV rolled when he tried to turn it, the patrol said.

Semi driver dies in U.S. 24 crash

DEFIANCE, OH - Three tractor-trailers collided about 3:15 p.m. yesterday on U.S. 24 near State Rt. 281 northeast of here, killing one of the drivers and closing the highway for nearly 5 1/2 hours, the Ohio Highway Patrol said. A semi driven by Michael Tague, 42, of Indianapolis, did not stop and struck the rear of the trailer of the rig driven by Guy Dumas, 50, of St. Chrysostome, Que.

Port Angeles logger killed by loose log

QUILCENE Wash. -- A logger from Port Angeles was killed when a loose log came tumbling down an Olympic peninsula mountainside and struck him in the neck. Joshua Patterson, 36, died instantly Friday when the accident occurred on Spencer Creek Road on Mount Walker off U.S. 101 between Quilcene and Brinnon, Jefferson County Undersheriff Tim Perry said.

A cable system started to carry one bundle up the mountainside when Patterson and his partner noticed a log coming loose, then it broke free and careened down the mountain, Perry said.

Plane crashes in Pownal, killing pilot

POWNAL Vt. -- Federal aviation and transportation officials are investigating a plane crash that killed the pilot. William Smith, of Batavia, N.Y., died when the small cargo plane crashed in a remote area Friday, the Bennington Banner reported. He was the only one on board.

Two firefighters killed in Northern California crash

HAPPY CAMP Calif. - A helicopter pilot and co-pilot were killed when the aircraft crashed into the Klamath River while battling a series of lightning-caused fires, authorities said Saturday. The helicopter went down Friday night along Highway 96, about 10 miles southwest of Happy Camp in Siskiyou County, according to sheriff's and U.S. Forest Service officials.

Officer dies of injuries from July crash

ATLANTA -- An Atlanta police officer has died of injuries he received when the cruiser he was driving collided with a Grady Hospital ambulance as both vehicles were responding to a call. Officer Peter Faatz, 29, died Thursday evening in an intensive care unit at Grady Hospital, police said Friday. He was admitted to the hospital on July 21 with severe head injuries after the ambulance smashed into the passenger side of his squad car.

Man killed in crop duster crash 'He always wanted to fly'

BASSFIELD, MI — A Covington County man died Friday after the crop duster in which he was flying crashed in a farm pond in southwest Jefferson Davis County. John Davis, 62, of Collins was pronounced dead at Marion General Hospital after being airlifted from the scene of the 10:40 a.m. crash, county officials said.

Police chief says slain officer erred in going to crime scene

NORFOLK, VA -- Police Chief Bruce P. Marquis on Monday said Officer Seneca Darden bore responsibility for starting the chain of events that ended with his shooting death in Young Terrace on May 21, saying Darden should have stayed on his plainclothes detail in Ghent as instructed.

Darden and another officer left the detail and went to meet an acquaintance of Darden's at a Burger King, according to authorities. From there they went to a chaotic shooting scene in nearby Young Terrace, where Darden was shot by a fellow officer who didn't realize he was a policeman. City police fired on people three times last week, striking two men.

Kingston cops seek clues into death of cranberry farmer; Victim found under lawn mower in pond

KINGSTON, MA - Police are trying to figure out how a cranberry farmer became trapped beneath an overturned riding lawn mower in a pond behind his home. Noah T. Herndon Jr. lived alone on the cranberry farm at 156 Pembroke St., which is at the end of a 2,000-foot driveway. He was found dead yesterday afternoon beneath the overturned lawn mower in a pond near the bogs, far behind his home.

Fire truck wrecks, teen-age firefighter killed

Volunteer firefighters en route to an emergency call ran off a bridge in the Marshall County community of Martling Wednesday evening. The firetruck crashed down a 40-foot embankment.

17-year-old volunteer firefighter Aletha Faye Nixon was killed. Her older brother Chris Nixon was injured. The road curves like an "S" and there is a one-lane bridge. The firetruck ran off that bridge.

The worker, whose name was not released Tuesday, was a temporary worker through the Willstaff Worldwide Staffing agency, according to a press release from mayoral spokeswoman Sheryl Lovelady.

The man fell from the truck near the intersection of Zenith Avenue and Independence Street and was taken by ambulance to St. John Medical Center, where he died, the release states.

Illinois Firefighter Dies after Fire

Carbondale, IL -- The City of Carbondale Fire Department is preparing to bury one of its own. Firefighter Dana MacCrimmon. 45, became ill after she responded to a fire call on Aug. 10 at 10:59 p.m. After returning to the station, she was transported to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and died at 2:20 p.m., Aug. 11.

Firefighter Dies Battling Wildfire Near Oak City

RICHFIELD, UT - A Utah firefighter died Thursday while battling a wildfire near Oak City.Officials say the firefighter was working on the "Devil's Den" fire which was ignited by lightning two days ago. "We've pulled all firefighters off the line tonight we have another incident team coming in tomorrow to take over management of this fire," said Davida Carnahan with the U.S. Forest Service.

The victim's identity was not immediately released, pending notification of the family. It was also not immediately known exactly how the firefighter died or the injuries they received.

Firefighter Dies En Route To Call

WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP, OH -- The Whitewater Township Fire Department is mourning the loss of one of its officers.

The department said Lt. Paul Montavon was responding to a call when he died. The department would not say how Montavon died, but that it was a "non-traumatic" death.

TRUCK DRIVER KILLED IN ACCIDENT

ONTARIO, MI -- A Michigan truck driver died in a truck stop parking lot Wednesday morning after his son started the truck without knowing the man was working under it, police said. The 13-year-old apparently started the truck to turn on the air conditioning, and the truck rolled backward, Ontario Police Chief Mike Kee said.

GREEN BAY WI -- The firefighter who died after he and his partner plunged through a floor to a burning basement was calling for help on his radio after they fell, officials said. Arnie Wolff, 55, was killed and his partner Jo Brinkley-Chaudoir was injured after the floor gave way on Sunday. He had worked with the department for 17 years. Wolff and Brinkley-Chaudoir were looking in the home for occupants. Moments after entered, the pair fell through the floor.

One laborer killed, two injured in South Miami-Dade crash

Miami, FL -- An elderly man plowed into a group of day laborers gathered outside a Home Depot near Cutler Bay this morning, killing one and injuring two others, Miami-Dade police said.

The dead man was pinned to the ground underneath the driver's car and died on the scene, police spokesman Roy Rutland said. The two injured men were airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, he said.

Trucker dies in Bypass crash; One semi hits another that was stopped or backing up, police say.

MISHAWAKA, IN-- One man died Monday after the semi-truck he was driving on the St. Joseph Valley Parkway crashed into another semi that police said was either stopped or backing up near the Indiana 331 exit.

Police said the victim likely did not realize that a semi was nearly motionless on the outside lane because he did not slow down or apply the brakes.

Three arrested in cab driver's murder

Columbus, GA -- Three people have been charged with the murder of 55-year-old Columbus taxi driver Jack L. Horne, the FBI announced Monday. Horne's body was found Friday near Harmony Church on Fort Benning, five days after his daughter, Angela, 17, filed a missing person report with the Columbus Police Department.

Abdul Choudhury, 67, of nearby Norwood, was found dead in the street at Gun Hill Road and Bronx River Parkway in Williamsbridge after the 5:20 a.m. accident. vOne 911 caller told police the victim was struck by a red minivan that had made a right onto Gun Hill from the parkway. A second caller heard the crash, then saw a black SUV and a red car leave the scene, police said.

BIKE MESSENGER, 20, DIES IN CHELSEA COLLISION WITH TRUCK

A 20-YEAR-OLD bicycle messenger was crushed to death yesterday under the wheels of a turning flatbed truck in Chelsea, cops and witnesses said.

Messenger Darren Lewis had been riding south on Ninth Ave. when he collided with the Kamco Supply Corp. truck, which was turning onto 29th St. A fellow messenger, Dwayne Davis, 40, appeared at the scene to retrieve packages Lewis was delivering. "He was a young guy trying to make a living like everyone else. Everyone in the company is feeling it," he said.

Longshoreman feared dead in wreck at port

STOCKTON, CA -- A body pulled from Stockton Deep Water Channel late Thursday was believed to be that of an elderly longshoreman who had been reported missing Wednesday and who appeared to have been driving a truck that plunged into the water, Port of Stockton officials said.

The missing man, who was identified by officials as Jose "Pepe" Correa of Stockton, was the oldest of the port's longshoremen, said Dennis Brueckner, president of International Longshore Workers Union Local 54.